Avoiding sugar while on the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) diet plan can help to protect your health as well as deliver some extreme weight loss results in just a short amount of time. Of course, the HCG diet plan is not magic and certain discipline is required from the participant to ensure rapid fat loss. One of the most important things to adhere to while on the HCG diet plan is to avoid sugar. This article will explain the reasons why so that you may apply the information to yourself and increase your chances of success on your new diet plan.
The HCG diet has been described as one of the fastest ways to lose weight and it has the science to explain it. If you do not follow the science then you run the risk of failing at your diet plan and that can be very discouraging and disappointing. To help avoid that, here are some excellent reasons :-
Reasons for not consume sugar while on the HCG diet
Sugar Stores Fat –
The most obvious reason to abstain from sugar while on the HCG diet is simple – sugar is considered empty calories. Empty calories are defined as being food that is meant to be utilized as energy. When the highly condensed energy of sugar is not utilized, it gets stored in your body and you store fat which in turn makes you gain weight instead of lose it. Storing fat is the exact opposite of what you are trying to achieve. Sugar also does not make you feel full for very long and in just a short period of time you will be hungry again. Those unfulfilled hunger pangs could possibly lead you to make further bad food choices on your HCG diet plan.
The “Sugar High” –
A “Sugar High” is a state in which a person falls in to when they have consumed an unusual amount of sugar. Unusual can be defined individually – some amounts of sugar that cause a sugar sensitive person to be anxious may not produce the same result in one who has a tolerance to sugar.
Side effects of a sugar spike can include feeling frustrated, anxious and/or depressed as well as being left with a short attention span which can complicate your life, especially when dealing with meal planning and schedules involved in the HCG diet plan.
Sugar Contains No Nutrients –
On the HCG meal plan, you are asked to consume a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) which is normally about 500 calories a day. For example, if you spend 130 of those calories on one can of soda, you are missing out on a large portion of your daily nutrients.
In fact, recovering from a sugar spike uses enzymes, minerals and vitamins previously stored in your body from healthy foods in a desperate attempt to rebalance you. In the end, your nutrients are depleted rather than replenished. The fact that sugar originally contains no nutrients is like pouring salt in the wound. Especially severe and long term cases of nutrient deficiency can lead to tooth problems such as cavities and bone disease like osteoporosis.
On the HCG diet, you are highly encouraged to eat healthy and whole foods. This may be a big change for some dieters and could take some time to get used to. However, keep in mind that these nutrient rich food choices that the HCG diet plan encourages are natural for human beings whereas refined sugar is not.
Sugar Begets More Sugar –
As explained, when one consumes sugar, many things happen within your body. One of the side effects of eating sugar is the sugar high previously discussed which only lasts for a short period of time. When you come down from the sugar high, normally the first thing you are thinking about is the desire to consume even MORE sugar. The reason for this is because your body always strives to achieve balance and when you come down from the sugar induced spike your body is trying to feel level again. These recovery cravings can be immensely difficult to control and could lead you on a downward spiral regarding your diet discipline. This sugar crash consequence is a vicious cycle which can be avoided by not eating sugar while on the HCG diet plan. Many people who do not eat sugar feel vital all of the time because they do not experience a sugar crash.
Immune System Function –
In multiple scientific studies, sugar has been proven to suppress the human immune system. Sugar does this by suppressing your white blood cells. These are the cells responsible for attacking and destroying any foreign germs to prevent them from proliferating and making you sick. A lowered immune system is a bad thing for individuals with a healthy weight however in overweight people the affects are even more damaging.
How does this apply to the HCG diet plan? When you feel good and have energy, you will be encouraged and motivated to prepare the proper foods and commit to light exercise to succeed in your diet. If you are sick and sluggish this will impair your eating choices as well as your activity which in turn will cause you to not lose weight as much weight as you wish.
Sugar and Depression –
How does sugar help to encourage depression? It has been proven that excess levels of sugar has the power to reduce the “serotonin” levels in your body. Serotonin is held responsible for those good feelings we experience and enjoy. It affects not just your mood and emotions but your appetite and quality of sleep as well.
Serotonin also helps optimize our cognitive functions and preventing a decrease of your levels of this naturally occurring chemical helps you to learn and retain new knowledge. A great memory can only aid you in your goal to achieve quick weight loss as the HCG diet does require a certain level of study to succeed.
Anxiety and depression have also been closely linked to urges to eat out of comfort and not out of necessity which will only help to sabotage your HCG diet plan. Avoid sugar to help retain normal levels of serotonin. It is a fact that when we feel well we naturally want to do well.
Following a HCG diet or not, some experts surprisingly refer to sugar as a poison because of the various negative side effects human beings experience. Most people on the HCG diet plan notice a beneficial change in many parts of their lives almost immediately after cutting sugar out of their diet. Increased energy, a better attention span, improved cognitive behaviour and function are just a few of these benefits. All in all, in order to succeed in the HCG diet plan it is essential to be able to fully commit and eliminate sugar. In the end, your body will thank you for doing so. If you like to learn more on HCG visit US HCG Injections